Coach of Ghana Black Stars stages protest over unpaid salary

Ghana’s players celebrate at the end of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final football match between DR Congo and Ghana in Oyem on January 29, 2017.<br />ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP

A member of Ghana’s coaching staff at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations is staging a sit-in at a hotel in the capital Accra in a row over his salary.

Three weeks after this year’s tournament in Gabon, all the technical staff, including coach Avram Grant, have still to be paid. “We don’t have the money,” a leading Ghana FA (GFA) official told BBC Sport.

Assistant coach Gerard Nus is refusing to fly to his home nation Spain until the matter is addressed. “It’s frustrating,” the Spaniard told BBC Sport.

“Like any human being, when you do work you want to get paid – I don’t think there’s anything strange in that. I’m just going to wait here until they come with a good solution. Local people tell me that if I leave without a payment, most likely I will never get paid.

“It’s sad to hear that because basically all I’m claiming is the money I’ve been promised for the job done.” Citing financial difficulties, the GFA has sought assistance from the country’s government to settle the matter.

“The ministry is working for government to release funds for them to be paid,” the official explain. “It’s not only Nus but the entire technical team and backroom staff – all of them.”

Fitness coach Jamie Lawrence, who played in the Premier League with Bradford City, says he has lost work as a result of the payment delays. “It’s very frustrating. They told us the money would be paid as soon as we got back to Ghana and they haven’t fulfilled the promise,” the former Jamaica international told BBC Sport.

“I was away longer than anyone else – two months – and I went at the drop of a hat with 18 hours’ notice for Avram and they haven’t paid the money. “90% of the team weren’t playing regularly for their clubs and I got them up to speed before the tournament.

“I’ve been promised that I will get the rest of the money in the next 14 days. This hasn’t put me off working in African football again but I have missed out on work because of this, when I was waiting for the money in Ghana.”

The Black Stars extended a Nations Cup record in Gabon this year when becoming the first team to reach six semi-finals. However, the four-time African champions once again failed to win a first title since 1982 as they were beaten 2-0 by Cameroon in the semi-finals.